A 6-0 loss to a powerhouse St. Francis side on Dec. 4 showed the Los Gatos High girls soccer team is still learning to mesh with each other on the field and figuring things out. However, the Wildcats are confident the talent on the team will coalesce which will translate into another winning season on the pitch for the tradition-rich program.
“It was more of an experiment as we tried a bunch of different formations to see what works best for our team,” senior midfielder Gabby Stout said of the season-opener against St. Francis which is part of the Fremont High-Sunnyvale tournament. “It’s pretty much an entirely new team (from the Covid spring season) and even though it wasn’t a great result, everyone was supportive of each other after every goal. We also had a conversation after the game about strategies we can use moving forward and what formations we thought worked best.”
The coaching staff of Pablo Cueto, Tom Hicks and Mike Grom will have time to get the team to jell, though the sooner the better. Cueto said the players possess some key intangibles such as toughness and aggression.
“It’s a strong team, we have a lot of talent and they’re not scared of a challenge and not scared of taking risks,” Cueto said. “It’s a pretty aggressive group, and these girls are not scared of getting physical when they need to.”
Cueto mentioned the play of senior captains Stout and Julia Massa, freshman forward Kai Tsakiris, sophomore midfielder/forward Caitlin Simons, and freshman midfielder Macie Yanonni as being key early in the season. Tsakiris is coming off an injury but has been coming out to practice and Cueto hopes she will be cleared to play by January.
Cueto said Tsakiris and Simons are potent offensive threats and capable of keeping opponents on the defensive. Massa and Stout provide tremendous leadership and will be counted upon to be a direct line of communication between the coaches and players.
“They help direct things on the field and help the coaches,” Cueto said. “They’re leading warmups, they’re encouraging everyone and they really get after it.”
Stout takes her responsibility as co-captain seriously, knowing how vital a role communication plays in the success or downfall of a team.
“Being a captain means always showing up and making sure everyone stays positive and keeps communicating,” she said. “But off the field we’re also in charge of organizing team bonding activities and making sure everyone knows where to be on the field. We serve as a point of communication between the coaches and players and make sure if there ever is a disconnect, to make sure the lines of communication are always open.”
Stout views herself as a defensive midfielder who emphasizes ball distribution.
“As people are making runs I’m playing through balls and making sure I get back on defense,” she said.
Stout and Cueto said Tsakiris and Simons are strong players who will be difference-makers.
“They’re really good,” Stout said. “Caitlin was playing midfield against St. Francis and did an extremely good job of attacking and defending. Kai is injured right now but should be back in a few weeks. At practice she’s been doing really good. Her ball skills are evident and she can dribble around people so it’s going to be exciting when she starts playing in the games.”
Stout has been playing soccer since she was 5 years old and moved from the Seattle area to Los Gatos before her eighth-grade year. Sports, and soccer in particular, helped ease the transition of Stout moving away from her friends at that age.
“It was definitely hard adjusting to a new school, especially in the eighth grade when everyone has made their friends,” she said. “But other than that, it wasn’t super hard and soccer helped with that, too, because joining a new club team you get to meet new people and connect with them through the sport.”
Sports editor Emanuel Lee can be reached at el**@we*****.com and (831) 886-0471, ext. 3958.
